Don’t Just Write – Handwrite

Back in my day (yes, I’m officially old enough to start stories with this fun phrase), writing a college paper was an ordeal. Research took days with the card catalogues at the library. First, and sometime second, drafts were written by hand. Once I finally had the paper close to complete, I would visit the computer lab to type it out.

Because that was my process for writing, ingrained in my psyche since high school, I didn’t change that habit when I first started writing grants. Yes, I wrote every grant proposal out by hand before transcribing it to the computer. I did this FOR YEARS.

Here’s what I liked about it:

• Writing by hand forced me to slow down my thinking. Which meant I thought long and hard about what I really wanted to say.
• Because my messy first draft wasn’t going to be seen by anyone but me, I didn’t think twice about scratching out words here and there or even scribbling over complete sentences and paragraphs that weren’t working. It was actually pretty cathartic.
• Then, when I transcribed my handwritten work to the computer, it was easy to edit as I went. Once I had something on the computer screen, it was often pretty close to complete.

I don’t remember exactly when I switched to composing straight to the computer – but I do know it was not because I necessarily wanted to, but rather my workload had increased to the point where I needed to save time. And the most time-consuming part of the process was writing it all out by hand.

I adapted, to be sure, but I often wonder what I lost.

Turns out – writing by hand changes your brain, in a good way. A neuroscientist in Norway spent 20 years studying the impact of writing by hand. Students were shown words on a screen and either wrote the word by hand or typed it on a keyboard – and the brain activity was recorded throughout the process. Writing by hand (which involves your hand, wrist, eyes, and brain all working together) was found to stimulate many areas of your brain, which makes the information stick. Meanwhile, typing on a keyboard simply requires pushing keys – you’re not thinking about the shape of the letter. Your brain doesn’t have to figure that out. The brain data for students typing showed half the activity of those writing by hand. You can read all about this study HERE.

Another study researched note taking by students – with half taking notes by hand and the others using a laptop. The handwriting group scored significantly higher on every question that involved critical thinking and real understanding of the topic. You can read more about this study HERE.

Both these studies show that taking notes by hand forces you to listen and determine what information is most important – all because you only have so much time to write down the important details. Meanwhile, typing lets you transcribe what is being said without putting much thought to the matter – you’re basically regurgitating what you hear.

If you’re still with me, you’re probably wondering why I’m droning on about writing by hand. Between my experience and a few scientific studies, I’m just here to say that there is still something to be said for taking the time to write things down. While I still do the majority of my writing by composing straight to the laptop, I still make use of handwriting in the following instances:

• Notetaking – when meeting with a client to talk about strategic planning, grant needs, program specifics, and more. This helps me really think about what needs to be done. And it brings about follow-up questions.
• Conferences and webinars – I still carry my trusty notebook to take notes. It helps me to really cement the important bits I’m hearing. When I can’t write down everything, I focus on the aspects I really need to remember. Including action items to complete when back at the office.
• Brainstorming – when I’m considering a new project or idea, writing it all down by hand helps me really think through what I want to create and/or the end goals.

Do you like to write anything by hand? Email hello@haydayservices.com and let us know how it helps you.